What exercises to tighten sagging arms and armpits

With the onset of the beach season, it sometimes happens that, putting on her favorite short-sleeved blouse or a cute top, a girl pays attention to her arms and notices that they are too full. In some cases, the biomass noticeably hangs from the arms spread to the sides, causing the lady unbearable aesthetic torment and extreme existential suffering. But arms and shoulders are a very erotic part of a woman’s figure, and if you hide them under long sleeves, then the beach season can be considered ruined in the bud. What to do? First, let's look at the reasons for the appearance of fat on the arms.

How does sagging arms and armpits occur?

It is clear that this area does not lose elasticity in one day - this requires a certain time.
If you don't exercise and generally lead a sedentary lifestyle, you will lose muscle mass quite actively. After 35 years, we lose up to 1-2% of muscles per year, so some areas of the body (where the muscles are almost not loaded) gradually lose tone and seem to “sag”. The triceps and armpit area are the first in line in this sense, since without special exercises they are almost not involved in the work. Think about the basic range of arm movements in everyday life: these are predominantly curls and rows, which primarily engage the biceps, the front of the upper arms. The triceps is an antagonist muscle; it is involved in work mainly by extension. Which, as you understand, we practically never do in everyday life.

“Our body is designed in such a way that we lose everything we don’t use,” says Diana Ibragimova, trainer of the Fitness Territory network of clubs and author of the Instagram blog @di.fitt. — In the absence of proper training, the area of the upper arms loses tone. But elastic triceps give a beautiful relief. Body composition also matters: the less fat there is in that area and the more muscle there is, the better it looks.”

However, it’s not just lack of exercise that can lead to sagging arms and armpits. “In addition to the obvious reason - low muscle tone of the arms, which can be solved by strength training - there is another,” notes Anastasia Yurkova, master trainer of the X-Fit group programs in Russia . - This reason is poor posture, for example, stooping. Due to incorrect body position, blood circulation and fluid flow in the upper extremities are disrupted. This causes swelling, sagging and even visible cellulite in the triceps and armpits.”

Causes of sagging

This usually happens due to the following reasons:

Fast weight loss. The use of diets that are stressful for the body leads to the fact that fat quickly disappears, and stretched skin begins to sag. To prevent this from happening, you need to lose weight gradually and simultaneously use a set of exercises to strengthen your arm muscles.
Poorly developed muscles. Weak muscles contribute to sagging of the inner forearms. The biceps and triceps are responsible for the beauty of the arms and shoulders. These are the muscles that we will need to pump up with the help of special exercises. They must be selected in such a way that not only the arms are involved, but also the main muscle groups.

What methods of arm lift are there?

There are several ways to restore the tone of your upper arms.

Surgical intervention

Plastic surgery will help tighten your arms quickly. There are three methods that are effective in solving this problem:

Lipoplasty – pumping out and eliminating excess fat in the arm area.
Liposculpture is the “modeling” of the arm silhouette by moving fatty tissue from one area to another (for example, if you don’t have enough volume in the upper arms).
Brachioplasty is a skin tightening operation.

Each method has its pros and cons, indications and contraindications, which should be discussed with your doctor.

Correction with cosmetic procedures

As a rule, different types of massages and lifting.

During a vacuum massage , negative pressure is applied to the skin, which leads to deep lymphatic drainage, stimulation of blood flow, elimination of congestion and activation of regenerative processes.
During ultrasonic massage, high-frequency waves “break” adipose tissue. It is believed that such an effect increases the density of collagen fibers and stimulates the synthesis of new skin cells.
radiofrequency peeling procedure involves exposing the skin to RF pulses, which stimulate fibroblasts to produce elastin and collagen, which improve the process of skin restructuring.
During laser lifting, moisture is evaporated from the skin using a laser beam. This triggers a protective reaction in the body. As a result, the damaged area is restored and cells are renewed. As a result, the skin becomes noticeably tighter and more elastic.

They all give good results, but they are not permanent and require a course approach. After one or two procedures, you most likely will not notice much effect.

Power training

This method is significantly cheaper and safer than all of the above. However, it requires a systematic approach and regular training. Let's take a closer look at it.

Skin tightening methods in the décolleté area

For those who want to have a beautiful seductive neckline, our clinic offers a method of combining laser resurfacing using the ESTETICA 2.1 device with PRP Regenlab:

The erbium laser used painlessly renews the skin, smoothes out the network of wrinkles and creases, and evens out the color of the skin. A distinctive feature of this type of laser is the minimum rehabilitation period (4–7 days), the effect is visible after just a few days. Cosmetologist Elena Mikhailovna Bakulina: I recommend a course of 3–4 procedures with an interval of 1–1.5 months
Plasma therapy PRP Regenlab. This is the type of plasma therapy that doctors chose to work in our clinic because it is a scientifically proven, safe and effective technique. The world's only patented Cellular Matrix tube with plasma enriched with platelets and hyaluronic acid is used. During therapy, up to 90% of viable platelets are retained. All this gives a pronounced effect of regeneration, rejuvenation and radiance of the skin.

Flabbiness of the body after losing weight is not a death sentence! In the arsenal of cosmetologists at the Real Trans Hair clinic, effective methods of skin tightening have been developed over many years. If you want to solve this problem, come to our clinic for beauty and health!

How to tighten your arms through exercise

First, get ready for long-term and complex work. If your sagging arms are associated with fat deposits, you will have to not only engage in fitness, but also adjust your nutrition plan, switching your body to fat burning mode. Here are some tips to help with this.

Secondly, if you slouch and your arms “hang” precisely because of this, be sure to include work on your posture in your training plan. “Exercises from the Pilates system will help here: swan, swimming, boat, cat, mermaid,” says Anastasia Yurkova. - You also need to add myofascial release of the upper back and stretching of the pectoral muscles. And only then include strength exercises on the muscles of the back, shoulders and triceps.”

Third, exercise regularly. For lasting results, you will have to train several times a week without breaks for vacations and holidays - if you give up classes, you will soon notice that the silhouette of your hands is “blurring” again.

Where did this fat on your arms come from?

Sometimes there are up to seven or more possible reasons for the appearance of noticeable fat deposits on the arms and shoulders. This includes genetics (including body type), a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, age-related changes, hormonal imbalance, too weak arm muscles, too strong arm muscles, etc. and so on.

But the main reason for flabby, sagging arms is excess weight, as well as weakness of the muscles and ligaments of the shoulder girdle. Which in turn is caused by a lack of physical activity and an unbalanced diet. Is it possible to improve the matter? Certainly. And even necessary! To do this, you will need very little - streamline your diet by eliminating a number of foods, walk more in the fresh air and train your arm muscles. You can even do this at home by doing a series of strength exercises. But if you want communication and additional motivation, buy a gym membership.

What exercises will help you tighten your arms at home?

To remove sagging arms at home, you need a force load. “This can include bodyweight exercises, such as pull-ups and push-ups, as well as weighted exercises, either light or heavy, depending on your fitness level.”

Basic and isolating exercises aimed at strengthening almost the entire “upper” will help restore tone to the arms and armpits. “To do this, you need to include in the work the muscles of the arms, chest, back and back of the shoulder - triceps, rear delta,” comments Diana Ibragimova.

What exercises will be good for this? “I recommend paying special attention to static exercises with weight load on the arms: plank, push-ups, pull-ups,” says Anastasia Yurkova.

Basic exercises to strengthen this area:

push-ups with narrow arms;
reverse push-ups;
pull-ups;
upper block thrust;
pocket rows and triceps extensions. “They can be performed in different variations: with dumbbells, with a cable handle, while resting on the knee,” says Diana Ibragimova.

When it comes to aerobic exercise, experts recommend adding elliptical training to your schedule.

It will also be useful to do Nordic walking: it involves cardio exercise (which will help remove excess volume in the arms, if any). It also uses the triceps (of course, if the technique is correct).

Stretching of this problem area should also be practiced. “This will speed up recovery and even out muscle tone if there is an imbalance on the right and left. It will also remove stiffness of movement that may occur after strength work,” recalls Diana Ibragimova.

Purpose of the lesson

Before starting classes, you should determine their specific purpose. For men, this could be building muscle mass in the arms to strengthen them and eliminate excess fat. For women and girls - elimination of fat folds from problem areas:

in the armpit area, where it is most difficult to train the muscles;
in the shoulders to reduce their volume;
in the fingers;
in the forearm area;
in the area above the elbows.

Eliminating fat rolls in problem areas will help shape beautiful hands in women and girls without increasing muscle mass. For men, training will have a different focus depending on what goal they want to achieve.

How often should you exercise?

A lot depends on the chosen strategy and your initial data. “For general tone, training with moderate or body weight 3-4 times a week is suitable,” says Diana Ibragimova. — When working with serious weights, this will be one or two workouts per week. It all depends on the speed of muscle recovery.”

When will the result be noticeable? “You need to train 2-3 times a week. With regular training, it is possible to significantly correct your posture in 2-3 weeks. But to tighten the muscles in this area, everyone will need their own time. If you are a beginner and haven’t trained at all, then 3-4 weeks. If you are already an experienced “fitnessist,” then it will take only 1-2 weeks before the first results,” notes Anastasia Yurkova.

We present several complexes and individual exercises that are effective for improving the tone of the arms and armpits.

Basic principles of a healthy diet

The key strategy for proper nutrition is maintaining a balance of KBJU (total caloric intake and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates). Not overeating and preferring healthy foods to fast foods, sweets and unhealthy fats is the basis for overall health and a beautiful body.

The diet includes:

complex carbohydrates (buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, pearl barley porridge, whole grain pasta);
foods rich in protein (veal, chicken or turkey breast, eggs, lean fish, low-fat cottage cheese);
vegetables and herbs;
foods containing fiber (sour fruits).

Minimize consumption:

fatty foods (pork, foods fried in large amounts of oil, fatty baked goods);
fast foods;
baked goods and sweets;
fatty sauces;
sweet carbonated drinks;
Sahara.

It is better to prefer frequent (5-6 times a day) meals to rare and large meals. This will speed up your metabolism, restructure your body's functioning and help you lose weight faster, as well as avoid overeating.

Exercises for tightening arms with dumbbells and body weight

Some of the exercises in the list below are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the upper arms, and some improve posture. Perform them 2-3 times a week, or the whole complex. Or you can choose only 3-4 movements from this list and include them in your regular workout. Don’t forget to lightly stretch the triceps area when you’re done: move one hand behind your head, and use the palm of the other to lightly press down on your elbow.

To perform the exercises you will need dumbbells and a mat.

Classic plank

planka_na_rukah
Get into a plank position with emphasis on your palms and toes. Stretch your head forward and your heels back. Do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of the abs, back, legs. Lock in this position for 40 seconds . Then rest and repeat the exercise again.

Plank "Square"

planka_kvadrat

Get into a plank position using your forearms and toes. Stretch your head forward and your heels back. Do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of the abs, back, legs. From this position, smoothly straighten your right arm and lean on your palm, then do the same with your left arm. After this, bend your right elbow again and lower your forearm to the floor. Repeat the same with your left hand. This is one repetition. Do 20 of these , then repeat the same thing, starting the movement with your left hand.

Alternate raising of arms

4-alternate raise of arms

Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms in front of you, place the edges of your palms on the floor, touch your forehead to the mat, and stretch your toes back. Working your abdominal and back muscles, smoothly lift your left arm and right leg up. Then lower them to the floor and lift your right arm and left leg. This will amount to one repetition. Complete 20 of these .

Side lying crunches

2-twisted on the side

Lie on your right side, bend your knees and elbows. Place your right hand under your head, point your left elbow up (place your palms on the back of your head, clasp your fingers together). Smoothly twist your body to the left, moving your left elbow as far behind your back as possible, while pressing your right hand to the floor. Try to fix your lower back (only the thoracic spine works). Then return to the starting position and repeat, performing 30 repetitions on each side.

Dumbbell rows

12-dumbbell row to the belt

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take dumbbells in your hands. Slightly lean your body forward and work with your abs. Don't bend your lower back, don't slouch, don't lift your shoulders up. As you exhale, pull the dumbbells to your waist, moving your elbows as far back as possible. Then smoothly return to the starting position and repeat. Perform 15 repetitions .

Seated crunches

19-seated crunches

Sit on the floor, bend your knees and place them on the floor, shifting your shins so that your left foot rests on your right knee. Stretch your head up, turn your shoulders to the sides. Place your left hand on the floor, bend your right hand and move it behind your head. Gently lean your body to the left, stretching the right side surface of the body. At the lowest point, turn your chest down, stretch your right elbow towards your left palm on the floor. Don't slouch or strain your neck. Return to starting position and repeat. Perform 20 repetitions in each direction.

Dumbbell extensions

8-extension with dumbbell

Get on all fours, place your palms under your shoulders, knees under your hips. Stretch forward with the top of your head, do not bend at the lower back, do not strain your neck. Take a dumbbell in your left hand. Bend your left arm at the elbow, pressing it towards your body. In this position, straighten your left arm, moving the dumbbell as far back as possible. Move at a slow pace, feel the triceps working. Then smoothly pull the dumbbell closer to your shoulder, bending your elbow, and return to the starting position. Repeat. Perform 15 repetitions on each side.

Simplified push-ups with narrow arms

11-push-ups with a narrow post

Get on all fours, place your palms under your shoulders, knees under your hips. Stretch forward with the top of your head, do not bend at the lower back, do not strain your neck. Bend your elbows and press them to your ribs, lower your body down, try to touch your forehead to the mat. Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat. Do 15-20 repetitions .

Stretching (stretching)

Muscle stretching should be done after every workout. This is especially useful for women, since in this case weights are not used, but the effect of stretching is not inferior to strength training.

The most popular system of stretching exercises is stretching. The program provides a special complex for stretching the muscles of the shoulder girdle, forearms, allows you to relax the muscles after prolonged strength loads and eliminate fatty rolls in problem areas.

Hanging on the bar

Hanging on a bar helps stretch all the muscles of the shoulders and forearms, improves the flexibility of ligaments and prevents tears and damage to joints and tendons. While performing the exercise, you should pay attention to the position of the body: it should be straight, legs connected and not touching the floor, eyes looking forward.

Do not raise your head: this often leads to pinching of the nerve roots in the cervical spine.

It is not recommended to hang for more than a minute, so as not to create additional stress.

"Lock"

A simple exercise to stretch the muscles of the shoulders and forearms.

Technique:

Take the starting position - standing on the floor with your feet apart, shoulder-width apart.
Join your hands in a lock in front of you.
Raise it above your head and tilt it back without disengaging the lock.

During execution, you need to ensure that only your arms deviate, and not the entire torso. It is necessary to stretch the muscles in this way for at least 20 seconds.

"Castle" behind

Another simple muscle stretching exercise to strengthen and lose weight in problem areas.

Algorithm of actions:

Take the starting position - standing on the floor with your feet apart, shoulder-width apart.
Clasp your hands behind your back. One should be pointing the elbow up, the other down.

Remain in this position for 10 seconds. Change hands and repeat the exercise, performing 3 repetitions for each.

Exercises for the armpit area with expanders

This complex was compiled by Susana Yaber, a Spanish fitness trainer, blogger and author of books. The exercises are aimed at strengthening the armpit area. Perform them at a calm pace, concentrating on technique.

How to build a lesson

Start your workout with a light warm-up.
Build your workout on a circuit basis: perform each exercise for 30 seconds , then rest for 10 seconds and move on to the next one. After completing 4 exercises, rest for 40 seconds - this will be one circuit. Perform 3-5 laps in one workout .
Finish the session with stretching.
Do this program 3 times a week .

To perform the complex you will need an expander ring. Choose its level of hardness based on your physical fitness.

Stretching the expander with your palms

Stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch up with the top of your head, do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of your abs, arms and back. Grasp the edges of the expander with both palms. Bend your elbows and raise your arms to chest level, keeping your shoulders down. Stretch the tape, spreading your brushes to the sides. Do not lower your elbows down or press them to your body. Perform a maximum of these movements in 30 seconds .

Raising arms with an expander

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch up with the top of your head, do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of your abs, arms and back. Place your hands through the expander and slide it onto your forearms. Bend your elbows to a right angle, lift them up, keep your hands approximately at face level. Spread your forearms as far apart as possible, stretching the expander. Don't slouch, don't press your arms to your body. Then smoothly bring your arms back to the starting position. This will amount to one repetition, complete a maximum of these in 30 seconds .

Abduction of the arm with an expander

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch up with the top of your head, do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of your abs, arms and back. “Put” the expander on your wrists, lower your arms along your body, and press the fitness band to your legs. From this position, stretching the expander, smoothly move your left hand to the side and back, try to touch your buttock with your palm. Then return to the starting position and do the same on the other side for one repetition. Complete a maximum of these in 30 seconds.

Arm extension with expander

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch up with the top of your head, do not bend in the lower back, work the muscles of your abs, arms and back. Grasp the edges of the expander, raise your arms up and behind your head. Bend your right arm (elbow directed towards the body, palm at the level of your right shoulder) and fix it. From this position, extend your left arm upward, stretching the resistance band, then return to the starting position and repeat. Perform a maximum of repetitions in 30 seconds , then change the position of your hands and repeat the same on the other side. After completing the exercises, rest for 40 seconds and start the workout from the beginning. Perform 3-5 laps .

Proper nutrition for girls

If you decide to seriously dry yourself out, you must be very strict and disciplined in planning your diet. Otherwise, all your efforts will go down the drain, so be patient and have an iron will, as below we will provide a list of products that you should avoid in order to get the maximum effect and not waste your time and efforts in vain.

We replace all sweets with various healthy fruits, you can eat honey.
We replace all baked goods with healthy and nutritious cereals.
We replace fatty dairy products with dietary products.
We replace non-dietary meat with fish.

A set of exercises for the upper arms

The author of this complex is Othman Calabris, a trainer and fitness blogger from Los Angeles . Training in this program will help strengthen the muscles of the arms, shoulders and armpits.

Start your workout with a light warm-up.
Do the exercises consistently. Optimal training regimen: 1-2 sets of each exercise, 15 repetitions. “Beginners can start with one approach, and as they adapt to the loads, increase their number,” comments Othman Calabris.
Do this program 3 times a week .

To perform the complex you will need dumbbells, an expander, a mat, a step platform or a low bench.

Reverse push-ups

Sit on a step platform (bench or chair), rest your palms on the seat. Stretch your legs forward, rest on your heels, point your toes up. “Slide” your pelvis forward and down, resting on your heels and straight arms. Work your abs, back and arm muscles, do not squeeze your lower back. Don't slouch, strain your neck, or raise your shoulders. Bend your elbows to a right angle and lower your body down. Then push up with your palms, straighten your elbows and return to the starting position. Repeat. After completing 15 repetitions , rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Lying dumbbell curls

Take dumbbells in your hands with an overhand grip. Lie with your back on a step platform (or bench), place your feet on the floor, and press your lower back to the support. Stretch your arms with dumbbells up, keeping them shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbells down towards your head, and straighten your arms again, returning to the starting position. Don't strain your face, neck and shoulders, feel your triceps working. Perform 15 repetitions , rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Lying dumbbell extensions

Take dumbbells in your hands with an overhand grip. Lie with your back on a step platform (or bench), place your feet on the floor, and press your lower back to the support. Stretch your arms with dumbbells up, keeping them shoulder-width apart, then turn your palms towards each other. Bend your elbows to a right angle (this is the starting position), lower the dumbbells slightly down. Then smoothly straighten your elbows, lifting the dumbbells up. Don't strain your face, neck or shoulders, feel your triceps working. Bend your elbows and return to the starting position, repeat. Perform 15 repetitions . Rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Triceps stretching

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Raise both arms up, bend your left elbow and lower your palm to your neck, below shoulder level. Place your right palm on your left elbow and gently push it down, stretching your left triceps. Stay in this position for 20 seconds . Then repeat the same on the other side.

Standing dumbbell extensions

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take the dumbbells with an overhand grip and turn your palms towards each other =. Lean your body forward, bend your knees slightly. Do not bend in the lower back, work your core, abs and arm muscles. Bend your arms with dumbbells, pointing your elbows towards your body, and pull them towards your chest. Then straighten your arms, straightening your elbows and moving the dumbbells back. Return to the starting position. Repeat. Perform 15 repetitions . Rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Triceps stretching

Arm extensions with an expander

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the edge of the expander with your left hand, move it behind your head and bend your elbow. Pass the expander along the spine. Bend your right arm and take it behind your back, grasp the center of the expander with your palm. Using your triceps, extend your left elbow and stretch the resistance band. Secure your shoulders and neck, do not overexert them or arch your lower back. Then bend your left arm again and return to the starting position. Repeat. Perform 15 repetitions . Then repeat the same thing in the other direction. After this, rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Bench press

Lie down on a step platform or bench, placing the entire surface of your back on it. Place your feet on the floor. Take the dumbbells in your hands with an overhand grip, lift them up above your chest, turn your palms towards each other and connect the dumbbells. Bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells to chest level. Do not strain your neck and shoulders, work only with your arm muscles. Then smoothly straighten your elbows and straighten your arms, lifting the dumbbells up. Repeat. Perform 15 repetitions . Rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Triceps push-ups

Lie on your left side. Extend your left arm along the body, lower your right palm in front of your chest, almost at the level of your right shoulder and rest it on the floor. Work your abs actively, don't slouch. Push your right palm off the floor and lift your body up. Then, bending your elbow, lower your body as low as possible, but do not touch the mat with your left shoulder. Repeat. Perform 15 repetitions , then perform the exercise on the other side. Rest for 40 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

Where to start to lose weight in your arms?

No matter how tempting advertisements for “magic pills” are with promises of instant and effective weight loss, the secret to losing extra pounds remains the same: calorie deficit and exercise.
Fat loss begins at the moment when the body does not receive the usual amount of nutrients, and then it begins to draw energy from fat reserves. For this reason, the main way to lose weight is a balanced diet. In a caloric deficit, the body has no choice but to destroy fat deposits in order to replenish energy reserves.

However, the diet should be approached wisely: a sharp restriction of nutrition and a deficiency of essential nutrients will lead to depletion of the body, and the lost kilograms will easily be gained again immediately after returning to the usual diet.

It is no coincidence that the concept of “proper nutrition” has become so fashionable. You can choose various synonyms for the term - healthy, balanced. The main thing is its essence. It consists of choosing healthy foods rich in microelements, saturated fats and slow carbohydrates over harmful and non-nutritious dishes. The principle of proper nutrition is not temporary, but permanent adherence to a healthy diet. This approach protects the body from stress, helps to quickly replenish energy reserves and leads to smooth and effective weight loss.

The key strategy for proper nutrition is maintaining a balance of KBJU (total caloric intake and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates)